Patent FR-3002773-A1 (FR)
Title: Device, useful for maceration and/or fermentation of grapes for red wine making and maceration of white wine, comprises vertical tank that is formed by side tank envelope closed at lower end by tank bottom and comprises filtering structure
Inventor: LEBEAULT JEAN MICHEL MARIE JOSEPH
IPC: B01D33/01
Filed: 2013-03-01
Abstract: The device comprises a vertical tank (12) formed by a side tank envelope (14) closed at a lower end by a tank bottom (13) and presenting an opening for the introduction of the grapes. The tank comprises a filtering structure movably mounted inside the tank and permeable to a liquid phase (17) of the grapes and impermeable to all or part of a solid phase (16) of the vintage, and a unit for obtaining a relative movement between the tank and the filtering structure so that a position of the filtering structure is movable between an immersion position and a draining position. The device comprises a vertical tank (12) formed by a side tank envelope (14) closed at a lower end by a tank bottom (13) and presenting an opening for the introduction of the grapes. The tank comprises a filtering structure movably mounted inside the tank and permeable to a liquid phase (17) of the grapes and impermeable to all or part of a solid phase (16) of the vintage, and a unit for obtaining a relative movement between the tank and the filtering structure so that a position of the filtering structure is movable between an immersion position in which it is immersed in the liquid phase and a portion below the solid phase, and a draining position in which it is out of the liquid phase and holds all or part of the solid phase to allow draining of the liquid phase. The filtering structure consists of a grid having openings whose dimensions permit the liquid phase to pass through and prevent the passage of all or part of the solid phase through the openings. The filtering structure is formed by a bottom of a maceration and/or fermentation container formed by a side envelope closed at an end by the bottom, and presents an opening for the introduction of the grapes into the container. The side envelope is optionally permeable with the liquid phase and impermeable with the whole or part of the solid phase. The filtering structure is made of a filtering fabric. The side envelope of the container is spaced from an interior surface of the side envelope of the tank in order to define a passage through which the liquid phase is freely to go up in order to improve the irrigation of the solid phase retained in the container and to allow a faster recovery after draining. The filtering structure presents an opening provided with a closure ready to authorize or prohibit the solid phase to pass through the opening. The device further comprises a unit to vibrate the contents of the filtering structure when it is in the immersion position. The filtering structure is placed in the tank in order to allow a solid phase compartmentation, which supports internal and external irrigation of the solid phase. The relative displacement obtaining unit includes a unit for allowing the displacement of the filtering structure upwardly and downwardly. The displacement allowing unit includes an actuator or a unit for fixing with a lifting unit or a suspension unit of the filtering structure where the tank is fixed in a position, and includes a lifting table, an actuator or an inflated structure when the filtering structure is fixed in a position. Independent claims are included for: (1) a method for renewing the interfaces between solid and liquid phases of grapes placed in the device of maceration and/or fermentation of grapes; and (2) an installation for the maceration and/or the fermentation of grapes.